Preventive Dentistry

General & Preventive Dental Care

Keeping smiles whole and healthy for life is always our top priority. That starts with regular dental checkups every six months at our Harker Heights dentistry practice, but we also offer a number of other preventive treatments like dental sealants and sleep apnea therapy to keep our patients and their smiles healthy. Contact the friendly Winegar Dental team to find out more or schedule your preventive dentistry checkup today. We welcome patients from Harker Heights, TX and other surrounding communities.

Checkups & Cleanings

Checkups at our office include diagnostic x-rays, thorough clinical evaluations, professional teeth cleanings, and a face to face consultation with Dr. Winegar in order to help patients keep their whole, healthy smiles for life. These regular appointments allow our team to become familiar with patients’ smiles, prevent many common oral health concerns, and diagnose and treat others in their earliest stages allowing us to offer conservative treatment options. Our comprehensive checkups encompass the following treatments:

  • Diagnostics – we use state-of-the-art digital x-rays and intraoral photography to get a complete picture of patients’ internal and external dental structures
  • Examinations – Dr. Winegar carefully examines patients teeth, gums, and other oral structures in order to screen for common oral health concerns including tooth decay, gum disease, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction, bruxism (teeth grinding and clenching), and oral cancer
  • Cleanings – Our skilled hygienists carefully remove plaque and tartar from every surface of teeth, explain and demonstrate best practices in at-home hygiene, answer your questions, and make product recommendations
  • Consultations – Dr. Winegar carefully explains the findings of your diagnostics and visual examination, answers questions, and partners with patients to create a plan for ongoing oral health care that meets patients’ needs and helps them keep their beautiful smiles for a lifetime

Oral Cancer Screening

While many patients believe that only those patients who use tobacco products need to receive oral cancer screenings, research has shown that more than 25% of those diagnosed with oral cancer do not engage in any of the high risk behaviors associated with the disease. In the US, one person every hour dies from oral cancer, and more than half of those patients diagnosed each year will not live more than five years beyond diagnosis. According to research conducted by the Oral Cancer Foundation, the best way to reduce the number of annual deaths attributed to oral cancer is by diagnosing and treating the disease in earlier stages. That’s why we screen for oral cancer using the Identafi system as part of every six month checkup.

Dental Sealants

Dental sealants are thin layers of plastic that coat teeth preventing bacteria from accessing the smile, forming plaque, and potentially causing tooth decay or gum disease. This simple, painless treatment can be completed quickly during any regular checkup. We apply a layer of liquid sealant to teeth and harden the clear, protective coating to teeth with the curing light we use to complete composite resin fillings. Once in place, dental sealants fill in even the tiniest pits and cracks in teeth and protect smiles from potential damage for years with proper care.

Nightguards for Bruxism

Patients who grind and clench their teeth at night, a condition known as bruxism, may find it difficult to stop this potentially damaging habit, but we offer a simple solution to protect smiles from wear. Custom crafted mouthguards reposition the jaw allowing it to rest in its most comfortable position, and they place a barrier between rows of teeth. By repositioning the jaw, these nightguards decrease the incidents of grinding which may occur due to an uncomfortable bite, and the barrier between teeth protects them from wearing, chipping, or cracking that may occur due to bruxism.

TMJ Therapy

One of the potential adverse effects of bruxism is TMJ dysfunction. TMD can also occur due to stress, facial trauma, and a variety of other issues. Regardless of the cause of TMD, we offer diagnosis and occlusal splint therapy for this common oral health issue. Let Dr. Wingar know right away if you experience any of the following side effects of TMJ:

  • Jaw pain
  • Limited jaw mobility
  • Popping or grinding sound when opening and closing the mouth
  • Chronic headache, earache, or neck pain

Sleep Apnea Therapy

Sleep apnea is the cessation of breathing for ten or more seconds at a time multiple times during sleep. Most patients don’t immediately think of the dentist when they’re diagnosed with sleep apnea, but as a specialist with training in how the oral and maxillofacial structures interact, dentists may be able to provide effective treatment for those patients with obstructive sleep apnea, the most common form of this sleep disorder. We create oral appliances that shift the jaw forward keeping the airway clear and preventing incidences of apnea and allowing patients to sleep soundly.

Fluoride Treatment

Many cities have been fluoridating water in order to improve the development of strong, healthy teeth, but once teeth erupt from the gum line, topical fluoride is necessary to strengthen teeth. Most patients receive adequate fluoride from toothpastes and mouth rinses, but for young patients who are still learning to care for their smiles and adults who are more prone to decay, we offer professional grade topical fluoride treatments to fortify enamel protecting teeth from decay.

Toothpastes & Mouthwashes

We treat patients twice a year during in-office checkups and teeth cleanings, but we also want to help patients care for their smiles at home. We recommend a number of products that can dramatically improve home oral hygiene routines including the CTx CariFree system, the PerioSciences system, and Ice Chips. No product is right for every patient, and we make recommendations based on our patients’ unique set of oral health care needs.

Meet Your Award Winning Dentist

Dr. Trevor Winegar

Dr. Austin Heiner

The Proof is in Our Patients

MOST INSURANCES WELCOME AND MAXIMIZED!

 

Contact us and schedule your visit today. 

Most Insurances Welcomed and Maximized

We’ll make the process of paying for your dental care as simple as possible! Our office accepts a wide variety of insurance plans, and we’re always happy to file your claim for you so that you can be sure to receive the maximum benefits available to you. Winegar Dental is in network with Delta Dental, Cigna, Metlife, Aetna, Guardian, Ameritas, Principal, United Healthcare, United Concordia, Assurant, GEHA, Careington, Humana, TDA, BlueCross BlueShield and more! Call us today to find out how we can maximize your insurance plan!

OUR LOCATION
Winegar Dental
OFFICE HOURS
Monday8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Tuesday8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Wednesday8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Thursday8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Friday8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
SaturdayCLOSED
SundayCLOSED

A Full Array of Cosmetic Dentistry, and General Dentistry Options.

Open Daily For Your Convenience!

A State-of-the-Art Dental Facility to Best Serve Our Patients in Harker Heights, TX.